Manufacture of iron and steel



plus the alumina, about 10 UNITED STATES PATENT 'oFmo HARRY BAKER CLAPP, WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO DUN CA N BAMSAY BLAIR,-OF PIGCADILLY, LONDON, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE or IRONYAND STEEL.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HARRY BAKER QLAPP, a subject of the King of Great Britam residing at 132 Wimbledon Park road, W1mbledon, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the Manufacture of Iron and Steel, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to the production of iron. and steel from iron oxids or ores, more particularly phosphoric, titaniferous and sulfurous iron ores.

According to this invention the 02nd or ore in a divided state is intimately Imxed with a carboniferous reducing agent and with a chlorid, such as sodium chlorid, capable of forming a silicate with the silica present in the ore or added thereto, and the mixture with suitable slagging material is heated in a furnace to a temperature which, while producing a fluid slag, leaves the reduced metallio iron unmelted and in a spongy condition.

In carrying out the process carbon in the form, for example, of anthracite dust, is added to the extent of about 30 to 50 per cent. of the Weight of iron oxid present in the ore (larger percentages bein required for poor than for rich ores) toget er w1tl 1 a quantity of lime or other'slag 25011111115 1ngredient and with silica (if not alrea y in sufficient quantities in the ore) and after intimate mixin of all the ingredients, preferably in thepresence of a moderate percentage of mo sture, say from 5 to 10- per cent, the charge is heated in an open hearth furnace the hearth being referably composed o chromite or tap cin or or such other composition as will not be affected by either acid or basic slags. The charge should not exceed six inches in thickness and the temperature is raised to approximately 2500 F. with the result that a liquid slag is formed b the reactions of the lime, silica and sodium clilorid or equivalent chlorid, while the metallic iron remains unmelted and in a-spongy condition.

With low grade ores a suitable slag can be obtained by additions which make the lime plus the magnesia present equal to the silica er cent. sodium chlorid being also added. The proportions will of course vary according to the nature of the ore. It is desirable to mix the ingredients forty-eight hours or more before sulfur and titanium can Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 17, 1920, 7 Application filed December 23, 1918. Serial No. 268,073.

charging into the furnace. The spongy iron produced is removed from the furnace and subjected to pressure, preferably hydraulic pressure, to expel as much of the sla as possible. Blooms are obtained by this means consisting of practically pure 'iron with about 5 per cent. of slag intermixed,.which blooms may be worked u as finished wrought iron of high quality by known methods or may be charged into a melting furnace with suitable additions, for example, aboilit one third pig iron, for conversion into stee It is found that ores hi h in phosphorus, e converted into high quality acid steel in this manner, owing to the reduction to metal having taken place without fusion and at a temperature .at which the impurities above mentioned do not enter into combination with the reduced metal, but remain with the slag, which is removed before the conversion into steel. Iron blooms made according to the present invention have been found to produce a steel having hysical properties superior to a steel of simi ar chemical composition made, according to the usual method, from pig iron and scrap metal. By the use of a chlorid and other suitable slaggin material it-is possible to obtain an easfy fusible slag which is quite liquid at or below a temperature of about 2500 F., leaving practically pure iron free from contamination with the impurities existing in the original ore and adapted equally for utilizing as wrought iron or for conversion into high quality steel.

As a specific example of the application of the process to a particular ore, Java iron sand may be taken, containing about 79 per cent. of iron oxid, about 14% per cent. of titanium oxid, some silica, alumina and calcium oxid and small quantities of the oxids of sulfur, phosphorus, man anese and magnesium. To a charge'of t is ore is added about 5 percent. each of lime, silica (sand) and sodium chlorid, about 20 per cent. coal dust and 10 per cent. water and, after thorough mixing, themass is charged into an open hearth furnace and heated to a'temperature of about 2500" 'F. for about 4% hours. The yield of practically pure iron is found to be about cwt. per ton of ore, representing a loss "of a proximately 12 per cent. of the total available iron in the. ore.

Iiizcarrying; out 2 this process-r any; form of I vfurnace'ean beputilized if; the temperature. is unden'control: and. the. hearth is; of" suchw a nature" as: not? toe beiafi'e'ct'ed by theslag-g 5% iaT-lie :chargez'ofiioresis notin' contact with the.

fuel-siand the heatin l zfiame. is'preferably slighfly toxidi'zing;.1. s. already mentioned, it-i isidesirable to' providezacertain amount: of moisture :in. the: charge} to form 1 steam 1'0:-"Whi-ch-adoubfless assists; inreacting with the liatedafcarbonapresent tozproduce: carbon: monoxidi thatin turn=reduees the iron oxid.

What-r1- 'claimi-i and adesire- -to' secure by Letters P-atentiof"theUnited 'States:.is:''

1'. iTh'e: process-for the' production of iron from-t: ironsi oXi'd'Sa-or/ ores which consists: in V mixingthe:oxid or-oreinadivided state with a1carboniferousweducingc agent, :and he'ating; the:miirture-ztogether:with=s1agging material 203iincludinga@substantialiproportionxofrsodium1 cliloiri'd 'itor. -a-1temperature1. which produces axflu id': slaggthati fiows from the reduced metallic i iron while' leaving the. latter un- I meI tedi'and-ain. a; spongywcondition.

2.'1:"1 h"e-v processfor theI-production'of iron 1 iron oxid's! or ones which consists in mixing-l the; oxid-Jororewin a divided state withz-l carbon-4' amounting. to about to 50- percent-.015: the; oxid present and with. sla'ga. surging; material; containing a substantial protherreduced -metallic iron meltedi.

portion of sodium: chlorid. and heating the mixturemin a furnaces-out. of. contact with the: fuehftoza-temperature ofiabout 2500 F.,

the: slagtmeltin'ga and flowing from the unwithlia: carboniferousi reducing agent,v and sla'gging material, including a substantial proportion oflsodium' chlorid, and heating the; mixture moistened with about, from 5 to 10 percent; of moisture, to a' temperature which produces-a fluid sla'ghthat flows from w ichremains'nn- 4'. A processxior the production of steel which i-consists: in mixing; iron oxid or "ore in-a' divided stateiwith a carboniferous reducingragent', 7 heating. the; mixture in a furnacea in the; presencea'of slagging material containing: a substantial proportion 1 a of a sodium chlorid to a temperature which produces-a fluidslag butileaves the iron in an unmelted' spongycondition as a bloom,

pressingthez said bloom to expel theadheringv slaghandi melting. the. bloom with. suitable? additions. for conversion intov steel.

BAKER CLAPP. 

